6 Questions You’ll Field at Your Showing

When it’s time to hold an open house to sell your home, be prepared to answer a ton of questions from potential buyers. It’s best to prepare some answers ahead of time so you can respond quickly and concisely instead of hemming and hawing your way through an explanation. What are some of the most commonly asked questions that you’ll be asked? Read on to find out!

When was your house built?

While the majority of the questions on this list are purely practical, many potential buyers are looking for a specific atmosphere to the home. Many buyers are interested in the charm offered by older homes, and others are wary of anything built before 2000. If you aren’t sure the exact year, we recommend looking at your county’s tax rolls, deeds registry, or the paperwork you have from when you bought the house.

When will the roof need to be replaced?

Typically, a roof lasts between 20 and 25 years. Depending on the materials used, a new roof could last anywhere from 15 to 50 years. Unless you know you paid for roof materials of higher than average quality, you should keep your estimate conservative. Assume the roof will only last around 20 years, and calculate accordingly.

If you didn’t replace the roof, you can look at the closing paperwork from your purchase to find out when the previous owners replaced the roof.

How old are the heating and cooling systems?

The answer to this question can again be found in your closing paperwork if you haven’t updated either systems.

If any of the components of the HVAC system are older than 15 years old, you may need to lower your sales price or agree to have the system replaced before the new owners move in. To avoid this hassle, you might want to think about replacing it before putting your house on the market.

How long has this house been on the market?

You’ll have to answer this question diligently, especially if other similar houses in the neighborhood have sold much faster.

If your house has been on the market for several months, try saying, “we actually listed five months ago, but haven’t had the chance to dedicate time to market it until just recently.”

On average, how much are the monthly utility costs?

If you don’t remember and you don’t have any recent bills on file, you can find out by calling the utilities companies. Having a generic average memorized for all utilizes is all you need to best answer this question.

How much did you pay for this house?

This can be a bit of a touchy subject, especially if you’re selling it for more than you paid for. But it’s important to be honest. Why? Potential buyers can find out from public records.

If you are selling for more than you purchased, you can let potential buyers know about the improvements you’ve made to the house or the improvements made to the neighborhood that impacted this price increase.

While these are the most common questions, they’re far from the only questions you’ll be asked. Make sure you know your home and its recent history inside and out, and you’ll be sure to rock your showings.